Archetypes

The Collective Unconscious

Sigmund Freud is
often considered to have "discovered" the unconscious as being that
part of the psyche which contains unpleasant or traumatic experiences
suppressed by the conscious mind. Jung goes a step further: He is
of the opinion that there is not only an individual but also a collective
unconscious which contains the immense psychic inheritance of
human evolution. According to Jung, this inheritance is reborn
in the structure of every individual.

Dreams can be considered as a possible
gateway to both the personal and collective unconscious. Dream figures
like the dark persecutor or the innocent child are symbols which
represent a connection with dimensions we are not aware of. These
can awaken certain associations within us which we could not perceive
with the rational mind alone.

Jung discovered that many of these symbols
are of a universal nature. They can be found in the myths and fairy
tales of all peoples. They show a "knowledge" or "wisdom" common
to all of humanity. Jung therefore called these symbols primordial
images or archetypes. The primordial images themselves
cannot be accurately described. Liz Greene sees them as energy patterns
which express themselves in our whole environment. Although they
themselves have no clear form, they express themselves in the symbols
of the world around us.

In this sense,
the solar system may be seen as the symbol of a living energy
pattern, reflecting at any moment the smaller forms of life which
are contained in it. The individual horoscope is a symbolic
representation of these energy patterns. In these symbols we can
see the seeds of the individual's potential personality. Jung describes
the planets as "gods", symbols or powers of the Unconscious.
However, these "gods" work differently within different individuals.

Viewed astrologically the symbol of the sun represents the core, the center, the figure
of the king or boss as well as the creative life force found in
each individual. These interpretations can be drawn from this one
symbol without being arbitrary. Liz
Greene describes the symbol as the primary mode of expression
of the Unconscious. In Relating she writes:

A symbol suggests
or infers an aspect of life which is inexhaustible in interpretation
and ultimately eludes all the intellect's efforts to fix or contain
it. One cannot ever fully plumb the depths of its manifold meanings.

A central archetypal
symbol in astrology is the circle of the horoscope. In all cultures
the circle is considered to be a symbol of wholeness. In the same
way the horoscope represents the wholeness of the individual and
the archetype of the "Self".

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